Black Forest resident reacts to investigation summary

Some residents of Black Forest feel like it’s another hit more than a year after the fire.

No new charges, no new cause and that has some residents concerned.

Several victims still have not moved back to their property and one said the report, while disappointing, doesn’t change anything at the end of the day.

Ted Robertson is able to stay positive, because of one moment after his house burned down.

“If it wasn’t for that miracle, that symbol, that piece of ceramic that I was able to dig out of the ashes and survive this,” he said.

Robertson’s miracle is a nativity piece of the baby Jesus. It’s the size of a postage stamp and is all he has left of his life before the fire.

“The hope is you don’t have to lose your home, that something like this will never happen to you,” he said. “But it did.”

He hasn’t rebuilt yet, but is still trying to stay positive while moving forward.

“It will take us some time to clean up our property, in the meantime, we’ll stay in town,” he said. “I think the dragging out part has to do with whether the response was adequate.”

He also says the summary report from the Sheriff’s Office doesn’t bring that closure he’s searching for.

“It still doesn’t change the outcome, our house is still gone,” he said.